Adaptive Trap Shooting

The Patricia Neal Innovative Recreation Cooperative (IRC) held an
adaptive trap shoot clinic May 12, 2006. Three of us with paraplegia
gave it a shot, two of us for the first time. Considering how little experience
we had shooting, we ended up doing fairly well and we learned that trap shooting
is as easy for us as it is for able bodied individuals.

As with any event involving guns, it is crucial to get instructions and safety rules first.
That's what Al and Tom are doing here. We learned the range rules and safety precautions
and trap-shooting etiquette.

No - Dennis isn't shooting in the wrong direction. It's just that the photographer
took the picture from the left instead of the right side. Everyone else concluded
he was shooting in the wrong direction - he didn't hit the bird that often.

Jimmy was new to trap shooting but showed us all up by hitting the bird with his first shot.
I won't tell you about most of his other shots (he said the gun barrel must have been
bent downward or something).
Actually, we each ended our session by hitting the birds six times in a row! I don't
know how we did it, but we just started zeroing in on those clay pigeons. We were
amazed.

Here's a general idea about what a trap field looks like.
We didn't use any special adaptive equipment. As usual, moving a wheelchair
on bumpy ground can be entertaining, but rolling over the ground in a "wheelie"
made getting around much easier. Other than that, we didn't have any
problems on the range. If you'd like, give it a try yourself. It's fun!